ell me--but I think it's a Spanish
firm. You see"--she took us all into her confidence with a sweeping
smile of innocent yet half-mischievous artfulness--"I only know because
I peeped over a letter he once got from his firm, telling him he must
hustle up and be ready for the road the next day--but I think the name
was Martinez--yes, Ramon Martinez."

In the dead silence that ensued--a silence so profound that we could
hear the horses in the distant stable-yard rattling their harness--one
of the younger "Excelsior" boys burst into a hysteric laugh, but the
fierce eye of Yuba Bill was down upon him, and seemed to instantly
stiffen him into a silent, grinning mask. The young girl, however, took
no note of it; following out, with lover-like diffusiveness, the
reminiscences thus awakened, she went on:

[Illustration: "AND--THEN CAME THE RAIN!"]

"Yes, it's mighty hard work, but he says it's all for me, and as soon as
we're married he'll quit it. He might have quit it before, but he won't
take no money of me, nor what I told him I could get out of dad! That
aint his style. He's mighty proud--if he is poor--is Charley. Why thar's
all ma's money which she left me in the Savin's Bank that I wanted to
draw out--for I had the right--and give it to him, but he wouldn't hear
of it! Why, he wouldn't take one of the things I've got with me, if he
knew it. And so he goes on ridin' and ridin', here and there and
everywhere, and gettin' more and more played out and sad, and thin and
pale as a spirit, and always so uneasy about his business, and startin'
up at times when we're meetin' out in the South Woods or in the far
clearin', and sayin': 'I must be goin' now, Polly,' and yet always
tryin' to be chiffle and chipper afore me. Why he must have rid miles
and miles to have watched for me thar in the brush at the foot of
Galloper's to-night, jest to see if all was safe, and Lordy! I'd have
given him the signal and showed a light if I'd died for it the next
minit. There! That's what I know of Charley--that's what I'm running
away from home for--that's what I'm running to him for, and I
don't care who knows it! And I only wish I'd done it afore--and I
would--if--if--if--he'd only _asked me!_ There now!" She stopped,
panted, and choked. Then one of the sudden transitions of youthful
emotion overtook the eager, laughing face; it clouded up with the swift
change of childhood, a lightning quiver of expression broke over
it--and--then came the